“Can you really restore it?”
To the furious question from Baron Vans, Hyun-soo answered without hesitation.
“Yes.”
Baron Vans frowned.
Before him, Bell had already spoken.
“Lord, do we need to listen to such a person? He’s just a level 1 user. Where do you get off spouting such nonsense?”
Hyun-soo was incredulous, and so was Bell.
‘Is this guy insane? How can a level 1 even think of restoring something?’
Where in the world would you find a blacksmith capable of that?
No, this Hyun-soo isn’t even a blacksmith.
He’s just a passing level 1 ‘jobless’ user.
How could such a user claim to restore anything?
And then Bell laughed out loud.
‘You’re done for now.’
Bell made a throat-slitting gesture.
He had dared to spout such nonsense in front of the Lord.
But Hyun-soo just looked at him with a bland expression.
‘This guy, his eyes…’
Eyes that completely disregard him.
No, eyes that see no worth in engaging!
Then Baron Vans asked.
“Be quiet, Hyun-soo, the foreigner. Prove your boast.”
Hyun-soo met Baron Vans’ gaze and asked.
“May I know how you acquired this bow?”
Hyun-soo was not foolish.
If he slowly unraveled it, the answer would come.
The Lord doesn’t trust him, he just has to prove it.
“It was crafted and gifted by a friend of my father.”
“Then, was it made with materials available near this territory?”
“Yes.”
Hyun-soo smiled slightly.
“I see. Are there any buffalo around here?”
“…There are no buffalo, but there is a monster called the giant buffalo.”
Baron Vans was a bit surprised.
This man was a level 1 foreigner.
Foreigners usually don’t know about the existence of the giant buffalo.
They go through training in hunting grounds before going outside.
But how did he know about the buffalo?
“This bow is not an ordinary bow.”
Hearing this, Bell’s eyes widened.
Something was about to change in the situation.
He hurried to raise his voice.
“What nonsense… Lord, there’s no need to listen to…!”
Baron Vans gestured with his index finger to his lips.
“Speak.”
“This bow is a hornbow. Completely different from an ordinary bow. The horns of buffalo are the main material. Also.”
Baron Vans, who had slowly walked over, was now right in front of Hyun-soo.
“Also?”
“This area is likely full of bamboo, mulberry, and oak trees, correct?”
“…Right.”
“Bamboo, mulberry, and oak are materials for hornbows. But this hornbow seems a bit special.”
“Special how?”
“Normal hornbows use cow tendons. But…”
Hyun-soo narrowed his eyes.
His eyes were fixed on the completely charred bow.
“Whale tendons were used.”
Baron Vans thought for a moment.
He recalled something his father had once said.
‘-The guy who made this bow said he used whale tendons for me.’
But there was something even more unbelievable to Baron Vans.
“How did you know? Without any mystical power. Especially as a newcomer to these lands.”
Everything matched.
The materials Hyun-soo mentioned were all from this place, and he even discerned the uniqueness of the whale.
“Even though it’s burnt, the essence of that bow remains.”
He had made hornbows hundreds, even a thousand times.
Even if burnt, he knew how some materials burn.
Baron Vans turned around.
His gaze now fell on Bell.
“What about this man?”
Hyun-soo had no intention of lying.
“I’m certain he’s not a blacksmith. His claim that it’s an ordinary bow was suspicious from the start.”
At that moment, Bell stood up abruptly.
Screech-
Boom!
But the door closed even faster, and soldiers near Baron Vans quickly restrained him.
The shackled Bell couldn’t believe it.
“How did you know the materials…?”
Bell couldn’t believe it for this reason.
He had thoroughly researched in advance.
Restoring such an artifact is a task for at least a level 100.
But this Hyun-soo, as far as anyone could see, was just level 1.
Soon, soldiers began to drag Bell away.
Bell, with a dumbfounded expression, was eventually thrown into prison.
[You have logged out.]
Back in reality, Lee Sung-jin wore a puzzled expression.
‘What was that guy…?’
It was incomprehensible.
He was clearly level 1.
But knowing the details of an artifact was beyond common sense.
No, he hadn’t even touched the artifact to check it.
He had just eyeballed it and guessed right.
Then his mouth dropped open.
‘Can he really restore it?’
He couldn’t believe it. How could this be possible?
He logged into the Ares community.
And he posted a question.
[Guys, can a level 1 jobless restore an artifact?]
[What nonsense, are you stupid?]
As expected, the responses were all incredulous.
***
After the departure of Bell.
[Intimacy with Baron Vans increases.]
Hyun-soo speculated.
‘Why haven’t the blacksmiths who visited so far been able to restore it…?’
Soon, Hyun-soo figured out the reason.
‘I know that when you do restoration work in Ares, a restoration notification appears.’
What materials to find and how to restore them.
‘It was the same with Mithril.’
Although it was possible to work with Mithril, which had a level restriction, it didn’t instruct how to refine it.
In essence, the restriction meant that you couldn’t receive help from the game system itself.
The visitors who had come before were unable to restore it due to the level restriction.
“May I touch the bow?”
Baron Vans’ voice softened considerably, and as Hyun-soo touched the bow, something special happened.
[You have seen through all the materials of the bow.]
[You acquire the hidden method for restoring the Marksman’s Hornbow.]
Although it wasn’t through a skill that he accessed the restoration method, it seemed like a kind of hidden piece.
‘Oh…?’
Hyun-soo immediately checked the restoration method.
(Marksman’s Hornbow Restoration Method)
Grade: Rare
Attack Power: 90~210
Restoration Limit: Level 60.
Restoration Materials: Giant buffalo horn and tendons from the novice zone, well-grown bamboo and mulberry from the novice zone. (Alternative materials can be checked)
Special Abilities:
· Maximum 16% increase in accuracy.
· Up to 4 increase in agility.
· Maximum 12% increase in bow attack speed.
· Passive skill: Quick Shooting.
· Active skill: Double Shot.
Description: A bow gifted by a skilled blacksmith to a friend. If restoration falls below 70%, it will fail.
‘The restoration limit is…’
A whopping 60 levels. Only those with at least the minimum restoration skill could attempt it.
But Hyun-soo was different.
They restore with the help of the system.
Nearly 99.9% of blacksmiths in Ares are ignorant of real blacksmithing.
However, they were able to restore because of the system.
‘I can do it with experience.’
There was just one catch.
‘The Mithril ore from the beginner’s zone took too long to smelt and refine.’
Thinking it over, the level restriction was likely the issue.
‘This might take a while.’
During these thoughts.
“That bow, as you’ve heard, is a precious relic of my dear father, and I’ve never seen a blacksmith who can exert such power without mystical abilities… Could you perhaps restore it for me?”
Ding!
[Hidden Quest: Meeting the Lord completed.]
[A related quest is generated.]
[Related Quest: Restoration of the Marksman’s Hornbow.]
Grade: A
Restriction: Requested by the Lord.
Reward: 500 gold.
Penalty for failure: Decreased intimacy with Baron Vans.
Description: Restore his Marksman’s Hornbow.
The quest had quickly escalated from B-grade to A-grade, and the reward was 500 gold.
Success meant about 500,000 won!
It was definitely worth a try for Hyun-soo.
“I’ll give it a try. Could you prepare all the materials I mentioned earlier?”
“Indeed, most of these materials are precious in this area.”
Hyun-soo felt the same.
These materials were not meant for players to obtain.
“But that shouldn’t be difficult.”
Baron Vans was a lord, after all.
Confident in his words, Hyun-soo nodded.
“I’ll start working as soon as the materials are ready.”
***
In the lord’s castle forge.
The materials were prepared in no time.
Hyun-soo, looking at the giant buffalo horn, tendons, mulberry, bamboo, and oak before him, flexed his fingers.
‘It’s been a while since I’ve done restoration work.’
Hyun-soo was sure of one thing.
‘I don’t know about the world, but…’
In Korea, he and his father were the best restorers.
He had a history of restoring Haemosu’s Dragon Sword.
Moreover, he had made more than enough traditional Korean hornbows.
Crack, pop-.
And there was one thing he realized while examining the hornbow earlier.
‘It seems well-made, but made by a blacksmith below level 100?’
Eventually, even NPCs had levels.
The blacksmith who was a friend of Baron Vans’s father had given a gift that was of rare quality.
Hyun-soo thought that if he examined each aspect carefully, he could make something better.
Swoosh-
A picture unfolded in front of Hyun-soo.
It was a drawing of a bow that Baron Vans’s father had immediately ordered a subject to make upon receiving the gift.
‘There’s absolutely no guidance on how to restore it…’
Even if the method of restoration came to mind, there would be no notification on how to actually restore it.
Because he didn’t have the skill.
But that was unnecessary for Hyun-soo.
Through Mithril, Hyun-soo had realized something.
The materials determined the special abilities and attack power.
Whether the worst or the best outcome was achieved depended entirely on the blacksmith’s skill.
Before starting, Baron Vans came to visit.
“…I came because I’m worried.”
Baron Vans was honest, and Hyun-soo was not.
“It seems like it won’t be an easy task.”
“…Is that so?”
Hyun-soo, who hadn’t even wet his mouth, spoke.
“Yes, but if I achieve surprising results, could you give me all the remaining materials?”
“The remaining materials…?”
“Yes.”
Hyun-soo was actually coveting these materials.
The ones named ‘Beginner’s Preserve’ that he could never obtain.
What Hyun-soo wanted to achieve through this was one thing.
Restoration is restoration, but he thought about making another bow with the remaining materials.
“If you make me exclaim ‘Wow!’ with your work, maybe I could do that much for you? I am a lord, after all.”
Hyun-soo smiled satisfactorily.
What’s he going to do by making a bow?
What does a blacksmith do?
‘Sell it at the auction house.’
Suddenly, he became curious.
‘How much would a bow made from these materials sell for?’
The reason Hyun-soo thought this was because of a notification he heard upon arriving here.
[Hyun’s Forge subscribers have reached 300.]
It was definitely around 211 before. He hadn’t posted any artifacts at the moment.
Hyun-soo was quick to catch on.
‘My reputation is spreading in unseen places.’
Hyun-soo smiled slightly and was about to start.
Then.
[Drrrrrring.]
[Drrrrrring.]
The sound of a telephone bell was heard.
Ares could be linked to a cell phone.
It would notify him of incoming calls, and he could check them after logging out.
“I’ll be right back.”
“Foreigners are truly fascinating.”
Soon, Hyun-soo logged out.
And then, the VVIP capsule installation team installed a capsule at Hyun-soo’s house.
‘Wow…’
Hyun-soo was amazed to finally be able to use a capsule at home.
The installation technicians left after assuring to absolutely protect the customer’s personal information.
‘How about trying out the VVIP capsule?’
After logging back into the game, Hyun-soo appeared exactly at the place he was before.
Baron Vans was waiting in the blacksmith shop.
And, just like before, he could see the materials piled up in front of him.
Then he felt something strange.
‘Uh…? Why does it feel so real…?’
Ares was still a game after all. Every time he logged in, Hyun-soo felt a bit of unfamiliarity.
Especially when doing blacksmith work.
Precision is essential in blacksmithing.
But was it slightly less precise?
Suddenly, he remembered what Ji-hoon had said.
‘Wow… If you get a VVIP capsule, let me try it too. The synchronization rate of the VVIP capsule is almost 99.9%.’
‘…This?’
He knew that basic capsules had a synchronization rate of 85%.
Those at PC cafes were basic ones.
Hyun-soo touched the materials. They felt much more real than before.
No, now it really felt like touching the real thing.
‘That means I can work even more delicately, right?’
The subject of that experiment was right in front of him.
Cliche Novel 